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The Mercedes-Benz ML represents the first model the brand manufactured in the United States and, to this day, its Vance, Alabama, plant is the main source for MLs sold worldwide. For 2015, Mercedes changes up the powertrain offerings slightly, with the new ML400 replacing last year’s ML550, swapping out a twin-turbo 4.7L V-8 for a 3.0L turbo V-6. Likewise, 2014’s 3.0L Bluetec V-6 turbodiesel is replaced by a 2.1L I-4 also used in the E-class sedan and GLK SUV. If you’re a fan of V-8 power, you’ll have to pony up for the ML63 AMG, which stickers for close to $100,000. Whichever model you choose, you’ll get a comfortable, luxurious, midsize SUV with the solidity you’d expect from a Mercedes—and a substantial towing capacity of up to 7,200 pounds.

REVIEW

The Only Compromise Is Your Bank Account

Mercedes-Benz is no Johnny-come-lately to the performance SUV game with the M-Class. All three generations of the brand's midsize SUV have received the Affalterbach treatment, beginning with the ML55 AMG in 2000. Although its 342 hp seems tame by current standards, at the time, the ML55 was without peer. BMW countered with the X5 4.6is in 2002, but AMG has ample experience tweaking and tuning SUVs. The 2012 ML63 AMG, representing the third generation, is near the zenith of the tuning arm's SUV efforts.

Thanks to its 21-inch wheels, 295-width tires, quad exhaust tips, and dual intercooler openings, the ML63 is clearly not your standard midsize Mercedes SUV. These visual cues aren't the first thing you notice when the ML63 is on the road, however. Whether in sport or comfort mode, the 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 makes its presence known. Many vehicles claim to have a "head-turning" exhaust note, but this one unequivocally earns the distinction. Anything more than one-third throttle produces sharp, metallic, staccato machine gun fire and at full throttle; this beast can easily be heard from a quarter mile away.

Despite the impressive volume level, the twin-turbo 5.5 doesn't have the same raw, organic sound as its naturally aspirated 6.2-liter predecessor. Whereas the 6.2 would spontaneously pop and crackle, the 5.5 has a digital, almost synthetic sound character, with throttle inputs producing consistent, predictable sonic signatures. Even the exhaust pop between shifts is predictably reliable in its cadence and tone, almost like a video game soundtrack.

The new V-8 may not have the same raucous sound quality as its forebear, but with 550 hp and 560 lb-ft on tap in our Performance Package-equipped model, power was never an issue. To fully appreciate the brute force this engine is capable of, it helps to have the vehicle in Sport mode. The Comfort setting moves the ML off the line in second gear unless you floor it from a stop.

First-gear starts in Sport get things moving in a hurry. In our testing, the ML63 laid down a properly quick 4.3-second 0-60-mph run and flew through the quarter mile in 12.8 seconds at 110.6 mph. Hawk-eyed readers may note the Benz trails archrival BMW X5 M's numbers by 0.2 second in the 0-60 sprint and its quarter-mile time by a scant 0.1 second, though it beat the Bimmer's trap speed by 0.5 mph. The ML also runs nearly neck and neck with its other Black Forest rival, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S.

The on-by-default stop-start function in Comfort mode seems an amusing affectation considering the ML63's ample power output and thirsty 14/18 mpg fuel economy figure, but whenever you combine 550 hp with 5243 pounds, something's got to give. We observed an unscientific average of 13.6 mpg during our evaluation period.

The interior of the ML63 is the biggest visual differences from non-AMG MLs. The steering wheel gets AMG's characteristic flat-bottom treatment and Alcantara grips along with satisfying-feeling cast aluminum paddle shifters. The aggressively bolstered yet comfortable, perforated-leather front bucket seats and high-gloss piano-black accents result in an austere but purposeful look, but it's not the burled bird's-eye look many expect in a luxury model. The one unequivocally upscale touch in the interior is the stitched leather dash top.

Mercedes' COMAND knob-controlled interface is not immediately intuitive, but starts to make sense once you've spent a few minutes acquainting yourself with it. The navigation system can be puzzling, though. It started to give guidance to a presumably previously entered destination as soon as I got into it. I had to pull off the road into a parking lot and spend five minutes to de-program the route and silence the guidance. Also, if you somehow get off the real-time visual map guidance, it's almost impossible to get back to it while driving.

Clearly, anyone seriously considering the ML63 does not regard a vehicle as simply a transportation appliance to reliably and efficiently go from point A to point B. There are dozens of comfortable, competent choices out there costing under $30,000 that will manage that task just fine. To get into this example of European muscle, be prepared to shell out more than triple that sum. As equipped, including the Performance Package, aforementioned Piano Black interior trim, and accessory 21-inch alloy wheels, the price tag on our tester came to a gulp-inducing $107,725, including destination. Is it worth it? Only you can answer that question. The last X5 M we tested came in about $16,000 less than that, while the Cayenne Turbo runs about $13,000 more. The heavier, less powerful Range Rover Sport Supercharged will likely also crest the six-figure mark when comparably equipped.

If you've had the chance to drive an AMG model, you know what a singular character these vehicles have. There's something incredibly ballsy, proudly politically incorrect, and self-indulgent about them. As if owning a Mercedes weren't enough of a statement, an AMG says you also have the loudest, fastest, most expensive Mercedes in your neighborhood. If the thought of a four-figure monthly car payment or, more likely, emptying your bank or brokerage account of six figures in one sitting for a midsize SUV doesn't faze you, the ML may be your ideal ride.

Pricing has been announced for the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, which is slated to arrive at dealerships next month. Mercedes' performance version of the M-Class will start at $95,865, including the $875 destination charge. That amount of money gets you a midsize luxury SUV with stop-start tech and 518 h

Looking to add more flair to your 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class? The automaker has just announced a host of accessories available for the SUV, ranging from winter weather driving essentials to rear seat entertainment.

More to love for the same old price -- Mercedes has introduced a new, third-generation M-Class for 2012 and it takes an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, approach to staying ahead of the competition.

Even though it saw a litany of upgrades and changes for the 2012 model year, the Mercedes-Benz M-Class is no more expensive than the 2011 model. That means the 2012 ML350 starts at $49,865 (including an $875 destination charge), and the ML350 BlueTec diesel stickers from $51,365.

A violent tornado hit Tuscaloosa County in Alabama Wednesday, with the Mercedes-Benz Vance plant in its path of destruction. The plant manufactures the 2nd generation M-Class and GL-Class SUVs, and R-Class minivan.

Does the 2009 BMW X5 xDrive 35d, Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC, and Volkswagen Touareg TDI stand a chance against the 2010 Lexus RX 450h -- the latest hybrid version of the world's best-selling luxury SUV? We assemble in the mountains to find out.

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BlueTEC Diesel Moves ML in More Fuel Efficient Direction - Mercedes-Benz and diesels go together like bratwursts and warm beer - the automaker claims to have built the first ever diesel-powered passenger car.

Mercedes-Benz to drop production to meet reduced demand, the company will be idling the Vance, Alabama, plant for an additional two days this month and an additional two weeks next month. In the meantime, the company will offer "limted, non-production" work to idled employees who wish to work on idl

GM and Mercedes-Benz Are the Top Fighters for the Prize - It's almost an epidemic: In the last two weeks, we've listened to three big automakers give thoughtful, detailed presentations about their current and future engine lineups.

With all the buzz about climbing fuel prices, and how current buyers are looking for new ways to increase their efficiency, it looks like Mercedes-Benz may have found a way to give its SUV buyers the best of both worlds.

The average price for 87-octane gas reached yet another record high today at $4.086 per gallon. With consumers more concerned about fuel-economy than ever, automakers are furiously developing plug-in hybrids, fuel-cells, and advanced engine designs to help ease the pain at the pump.

With the WIDESTAR BRABUS presents not only a new and exciting wide-track version of the SUV but also the new Monoblock E 23-inch forged wheels and BRABUS B63 S performance tuning for the ML 63 with 550 hp / 404.8 kW.

Mercedes-Benz has recalled 102,954 of its M-Class SUVs -- model years 1998 to 2003 -- for a possible faulty clamp used to secure a power steering cooling hose, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

Golden Retrievers: How much is that doggie in the window? The three entry-level luxury SUVs gathered here start in the $34,000-$36,000 range, the fat part of the transaction-price bell curve. Yet each of these players sports a behavior set all its own. We unleashed all three and let the fur fly.

What would you do if someone handed you the keys to the world's fastest SUV? If you were in Copenhagen, Denmark, you'd do what we did on a recent trip: Take the 607-horsepower Kleemann ML55K out for a spin.

Our premise for this test is simple: Today's mega-dollar, leather-swathed, sport/utility vehicles are as prevalent as BMWs in Beverly Hills, but are they any good when the road turns to rocks and scorpions outnumber Starbucks a million to none? Simply put, are luxury SUVs merely tarted-up wimps or t